Closet seat cover operator



May 17, 1938.

T. F. HILL CLOSET SEAT COVER OPERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25, 1937 Invnlor By M a fi A tlomey May 17, 1938. H|L| 2,117,663

CLGSET SEAT COVER OPERATOR Filed July 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I llllllk Inventor May 1 7, 1938.

T. F. HILL 63 CLOSET SEAT COVER OPERATOR Filed Jul 25, 19:57 :5 Sheets-Sheet 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSET SEAT COVER OPERATOR Tom F. Hill, Culleoka, Tenn, assignor of onehalf to Charles M. Foster, Lynnville, Tenn.

Application July 23, 1937, Serial No. 155,306

5 Claims.

This invention appertains to new and useful improvements in' out houses or latrines, and the principal object of the invention is to provide means whereby the usual closet seat cover is elevated and lowered automatically by the opening and closing of the out house door, thus obviating the necessity of the user handling the seat cover.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an operator of the character stated which will be of simple construction, positive acting and not susceptible to the ready development of defects.

These and various other important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view through the house.

Figure 2 represents a horizontal sectional view through the house.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of Figure. 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the cable pulley.

Figure 5 is a side elevational View of the weight pulley.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view disclosing the electrical connection between the electrical devices involved.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 generally refers to the out house construction which includes the top 6, side walls I, back wall 8, and front wall 9 in which is the door opening I0 normally closed by the door I I which is supported in place by hinges I2.

The numeral I3 represents the usual bowl upon which is the cover I4 hingedly secured in place as at I5.

The numeral I6 generally refers to the mechanism whereby the seat is elevated and held and lowered, all depending upon the operation of the door I I.

The mechanism I6 consists of a horizontally disposed U-shaped frame I! projecting from the back board I8 which is secured to the studding I9 of the back wall 8.

Horizontally disposed through the side portions of the frame I1 is the air shaft 20, and this shaft is journaled for rotation and has collars 2I on the end portions thereof to prevent displacement from the frame II.

Between the side portions of the frame H, the

shaft has thereon the weight pulley 22 and the cable pulley 23. The pulley 22 has the wide groove-way 24 therein for receiving the band or strap 25, one end of which is secured to the pulley 22 and its opposite end equipped with the weight 5 26.

The cable pulley 23 is provided with the groove 21 therein and to the pulley 23 is secured the elongated cable 28, which cable extends upwardly and over the pulley 29 mounted under the roof 6 and from there is connected to the eye 30 on the door II. A second cable 3I extends from the eye 32 on the door II over another pulley 29 and downwardly to connect by means of the bail 33 to the bowl cover I4.

The pulleys 2223 are both secured to the shaft 20 by the same means 34.

A notch 35 is provided in the peripheral portion of the cable pulley 23 and in this is pivotally secured as at 36 the arm 31 which projects laterally from one side of the pulley 23 and rides against the peripheral portion of the ratchet wheel 38, which wheel is provided with the ratchet shoulders 394I!. On the peripheral portion of the ratchet wheel 38 between the shoulders 3940 is the riser M which is ridable against the detent arm 42 to lift the head portion 43 thereof from the seat cover when the said seat cover is in elevated position. A coiled extensible spring 44 provided with adjusting means 45 is 30 provided between the back board I8 and the said arm 42 for normally tending to urge the said arm downwardly in the position shown in Figure 1.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the arm 31 r is tensioned inwardly by the strip spring 46. It will also be observed in Figure 3 that the ratchet wheel 38 is rotatable on the shaft 20.

Furthermore, a battery 41 is provided in the circuit 48 with the lamp 49 and the switch structure 58. When the door II is opened and the cover I4 elevated and held in elevated position by the arm 42, the switch 50 will have been operated and held to maintain the lamp 49 energized to illuminate the interior of the out house. 45

It can now be seen that when the door II is opened, the cable 3I will pull the cover I4 upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1, where it will be held by the arm 42, and simultaneously the cable 28 will rotate the pulley 23 and shaft 20 so that the pulley 23 will wind up the weight 25 While simultaneously the arm 31 will carry the ratchet wheel 38 to the position shown in Figure 1. Thus, when the user has entered the out house, the seat is ready for use.

Without concerning himself with the collar [4, he again opens the door ll and in doing so, the shaft 26 is allowed to rotate and in this operation the riser ll lifts the arm 42 releasing the seat cover I4 so that it is lowered with the closing of the door ll while simultaneously the switch 50 breaks with the lowering of the cover.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In combination with a lavatory house having a door, a bowl having a seat cover, means between the door and the seat cover for elevating the seat cover as the door is opened, and detent means for holding the seat cover in the uncovered position when the door is subsequently closed.

2. In combination with a lavatory house having a door, a bowl having a seat cover, means between the door and the seat cover for elevating the seat cover as the door is opened, a light, a battery circuit, and a switch associated with the cover for opening and closing the circuit depending upon the position of the seat cover.

3. In combination with a lavatory house including a door, a bowl having a seat cover, means between the door and the seat cover for elevating the seat cover as the door is opened, and detent means for holding the seat cover in the uncovered position when the door is subsequently closed, said detent provided with release means for releasing the cover when the door is again opened.

4. In combination with a lavatory house having a door, a bowl having a seat cover, means between the door and the seat cover for elevating the seat cover as the door is opened, and detent means for holding the seat cover in the uncovered position when the door is again closed, said detent means consisting of a pivotal latch member, a drum having a peripheral projection engageable with the pivotal member, said means between the door and the seat cover consisting of an elongated flexible member attached at one end to the door and being windable on the drum, and return means for the drum.

5. In combination with a lavatory house having a door, a bowl having a seat cover, means between the door and the seat cover for elevating the seat cover as the door is opened, and detent means for holding the seat cover in the uncovered position when the door is again closed, said detent means consisting of a pivotal latch member, a drum having a peripheral projection engageable with the pivotal member, said means between the door and the seat cover consisting of an elongated flexible member attached at one end to the door and being windable on the drum, and return means for the drum, said return means consisting of a weight member and an elongated flexible element extending from the weight member and being windable on the drum.

TOM F. HILL. 

